Moisture applying machine



Aug. 18, 1936. ()DELL 2,051,222

' MOISTURE APPLYING MACHINE Filed Mal an 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WVENTOR fsdda 0d? Patented Aug. 18, 1936.

UNITED STATES MOISTURE APPLYING momma Isaac .N. Odell, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Defender Photo Supply Company, Incorporated, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 15,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a moisture applying machine, and has for its object to afford a mechanism that is practical and effective in supplying variable or adjustable amounts of moisture from 5 a rotating roll to a contacting sheet of paper or other, material.

Still another purpose of the invention is to afford a structure by which the operator can quickly make the required adjustment to vary to a nicety the amount of moisture that is supplied to a sheet of paper or other material.

A further purpose of the improvement is to afford mechanism, in a moistening machine of this general character, such-that the paper or other sheet to which moisture is applied is automatically moved away from contact with the moistening roll when operation of the machine is stopped, and

is likewise automatically returned into contact with the moistening roll when operation of the machine is started.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, partially diagrammatic, illustrating in general the arrangement of a machine incorporating one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the pressure roll adjusting means Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the switch operating means, showing the position of the parts when the switch is open;

Fig. 4 is a partial plan view of the moisture roll and pressure roll, showing one form of the moisture roll and with the pressure roll in its outer- 0 most adjusted position for applying a maximumamount of moisture, and

Fig. 5 is a similar view with the pressure roll adjusted toward the 'moistening roll, when the latter is applying a minimum amount of moisture.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughoutthe several views, I designates 0 a roll from which an adhesively coated sheet 2 is fed, while 3 designates an upper roll from which a protective sheet 4 is fed, those parts being in general similar to .what is disclosed in Patent 'No..1,987,246, dated January18, 1935, thepresent I 55 invention being-intendedfor in coniunctlon 1935, Serial No. 11,311

with such a machine and process, although it may have other fields of application.

In a machine of this type, the sheet 2 is adhesively coated on one surface, such surface being brought into contact with a rotating moistening roll, and it is highly desirable to adjust the amount of moisture thus applied, depending upon the character of the paper, or adhesive, or other conditions that may vary with different kinds of work, and the preferred structure, by which such adjustment of the amount of moisture applied to the sheet 2 is attained, will now be described.

The moisture roll is designated generally at 5, and the body of the roll, or the moisture applying portion thereof, is formed of resilient or readily' compressible material such as-soft rubber. The surface or operating portion of the roll which contacts with the paper strip is roughened, or provided with a series of depressions, preferably formed by annularly arranged groves, or a spiral 20 groove defined by outwardly tapering ridges 6.

The roll 5 is supported in suitable trunnions and rotated in a direction contrary to the movement of the paper sheet by driving mechanism that may be of any convenient form and is not shown, since 5 it is conventional and forms no part of the present invention.

The roll 5 rotates in a reservoir or container I supplied with water or suitable liquid, although the liquid may be applied to the roll in otherways if preferred, and 8 designates a pressure roll extending endwise of the roll 5 and in contact therewith and operable to compress the ridges or projecting portions on the surface of the moisture roll so as to vary the amount of moisture carried 5 thereby and applied to a given part of the sheet of paper.

This may be accomplished in various ways, and one convenient mechanism is shown in which the roll 8 is supported on a frame pivoted at S and 40 carrying an ,arm III, while II is an adjusting member supported and rotatable on the stationary bracket l2 and having threaded engagement with the arm l0. Thus by turning the adjusting member II in one direction or the other,

the frame carrying the roll 8 isrotated about the axis 9 and caused to press against the mols ture roll 5 to a greater or less degree.

In Fig. 4 is shown the position of the pressure roll when moved away from the moisture roll to permit the latter to carry a maximum amount of liquid to the paper sheet, and in Fig. 5 is shown the position of the pressure roll when adj usted as closely as possibie'toward the moistifu'e roll, in which case the tapered ridges are compressed to a maximum and the amount of minimum.

With this construction, it will be understood that the major part of the liquid carried by the moisture roll lies between the projections or ridges on the roll and in the grooves or depressions, and by forcing the pressure roll against the moisture roll, the outer surface of the latter is brought more nearly to a smooth or uniform character, the water being squeezed out from the depressions or grooves, and correspondingly less moisture transferred to the contacting sheet. This result may be had or modified further by varying the relative surface speeds of the moisture roll and sheet.

The sheet 2 travels around the fixed guide roller l3, thence into contact with the moisture roll 5, thence around a guide roller M, which is mounted on a frame pivotally supported on a rock shaft l5, and thence around the upper pressure roller I6 where it comes into contact with the protective sheet 4 that travels around a pressure roller H.

The several rolls already referred to are driven through suitable gearing or belting from an electric motor, not shown, and. which latter is controlled by a conventional switch l8 having an operating plunger l9 that is normally in open position and adapted 'to be held closed when the machine is in operation.

The switch plunger I9 is operated to closed position by'a lever 20 that is fixed on the aforementioned rock shaft l5 and carries a depending portion 2| that engages a slidable plunger which when moved laterally engages the switch and operates the latter to closed'position. The said slidable plunger consists preferably of two sleeves 22 connected by a spring 23 whereby the motion is transmitted from the operating portion 2| of the lever to the switch without shock or jar. Any suitable means may be used to hold the lever 20 in either one of its two positions, and when it is thrown from the full, line position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in dotted lines, the switch is released and permitted to open, stopping the motor and the operation of the machine, and at the same time movement of the rock shaft l5 swings the frame carrying the guide roll I! upwardly and thus moves the paper sheet 2 out of contact with the moistening roll.

While the, invention has been described with .not confined to the precise arrangement or'mechanism shown, and this application is intended to cover any departures or modifications coming within the purposes of the invention or the scope of the following claims. a

I claim:

1. In a moisture applying machine, a rotatable roll having its moisture carrying portion formed of resilient material such as soft rubber, the outer surface of which is roughened, means for applying liquid to the roll, means for moving a. sheet to be moistened past said roll in contact therewith, and means for applying pressure transversely of the roll along a line extending endwise of its periphery to vary the amount of liquid carried by it.

2. In a moisture applying machine, a rotatable roll having its moisture carrying portion formed of resilient material such as soft rubber, the outer surface of which is provided with. a series of depressions, means for applying liquid to .the roll, means for moving a sheet to be moistened past said roll in contact therewith, and means for applying pressure transversely of the roll along a line extending endwise of its periphery to vary the amount of liquid carried thereby.

3. In a moisture applying machine, a rotatable roll having its moisture carrying portion formed of resilient material such as soft rubber,

the outer surface of which is annularly grooved, said grooves being defined by outwardly tapering ridges, means for applying liquid to the roll, means for moving a sheet to be moistenedpast said roll in contact therewith, and means for ap'-.

plying pressure transversely of the roll along a line extending endwise of its periphery to vary the amount of liquid carried thereby.

4. In a moisture applying machine, a rotatable moisture roll. having its moisture carrying 

